Tsuki was breathing hard she and Itachi had been training for hours. He wanted her to start using her Kekki Genkai more openly now. Which meant she and Hoshi were working double time with storing chakra, training and healing Itachi when he needed it. Their new teammate Jūzō worked well with them and her inhuman strength came in handy multiple times during their missions.
The one Akatsuki member that utterly freaked her out had to Orochimaru. He had snuck up on her alone a few times now trying to snake his arms around her like Itachi usually did. The few times he managed it had landed him with a bloody nose. No one touched her except Itachi.
Itachi was teaching her how to hit targets that are in her blind spots. Her eye technique was similar to the Sharingan just without the different stages. Hers could only copy Genjutsu and Taijutsu moves whereas his Sharingan could copy everything except Kekki Genkai's.
"You're spacing again." his deep voice rang through her head.
"Sorry, Ita. Did you reset the targets?" She asked him watching him walk over to her wrapping his hands around her waist.
"Yes, do you need me to demonstrate one more time?" He asked resting his forehead against hers. She shook her head her golden eyes had a crescent moon inside the bottom of a paw pad. He chuckled sensing the Akatsuki members growing restless watching them train. "Come my mūnbīmu, one more try concentrate and trust your body to do the work."
She nodded her head her eyes locking on each of the targets including the one behind a boulder in the center. She reached up and gave him a kiss before stepping out of his arms and launching herself in the air.
Flipping upside down she gripped eight kunai and closing her eyes threw each of them before grabbing two more and flicking them so that they hit two of the previous thrown Kunai changing their direction spinning she landed on her feet. Head hung her white hair in her face breathing heavily as she stood up. Her hair slowly fell behind her as she looked around every target had a kunai in it. She grinned as applause erupted around her as she walked to see that the target that was behind the rock had a kunai dead center.
"Itachi I did it! I actually did it!" She ran to Itachi who had just enough time to catch her and swung her in a circle burying his face in her hair.
"I knew you could. Come let's go get lunch with Jūzō and we can do some three-man training." Itachi pulled her towards the compound a bounce in her step as they reached Jūzō. He ruffled her hair affectionately.
"Hey nee-chan, you finally nailed Itachi's crazy training eh?" He chuckled as Itachi glared at him. "It is crazy and you know it."
"Let's get lunch then we can train with Hoshi." Tsuki grinned as both the guys blanched knowing her wolf was getting stronger with each of their training sessions.
They made it to the kitchen just as Orochimaru was walking out. He eyed her causing the hairs to stand up on the back of her neck in fear. Itachi stepped slightly in front of her with a kunai. Orochimaru's snake-like eyes snapped to Itachi before he chuckled and walked away.
A shiver ran down Tsuki's spine before she moved to the kitchen to prepare some food. The guys sat down to discuss their next mission while she cooked. She wasn't happy to find out they would be going on an assassination mission without her. She fought long and hard to stay with them on such missions but Pein had said no. She set their food down but was very subdued when they started up again on the plans. Setting down her chopsticks she held them both in a fierce stare.
"Promise me, that you will both come back to me. Please I need you both to promise me this. I have lost enough loved ones in my life. I couldn't stand it if I lost both of you as well. Especially you Ita." She pleaded with them taking a hand from each. A single tear fell from her golden eye.
Itachi blinked, before reaching over with his left hand wiping it away and holding her chin in his hand. "We will try my mūnbīmu but that kind of promise is hard to keep. We will try though." He whispered.
She nodded silently before going back to her food. There was an ominous feeling about this mission that she wasn't sure what made her nervous. The fact she would be left here with only Sasori and Orochimaru, or that she wasn't allowed on the mission in the first place.
"Kari, can you come with me a moment Pein would like to speak with you." Konan popped her head in the door to the kitchen. Tsuki nodded and followed her.
After listening to Pein relay her solo mission she furrowed her white brows. "So, let me get this straight. You take me off my own team to send me on a solo mission to Konoha and spy on the new host of the Kyuubi? Did I get that right?" She looked up at Pein to make sure she had heard him correctly. He nodded in agreement.
"I know you and Itachi just recently left but we have no information about this new Jinchūriki. There's one other thing Konan, Nagato, and I personally want you to do. You were close to the other two Legendary Sanin we need this scroll to be delivered to Master Jiraiya. Please get it to him. I would never have pulled you away from your team if I didn't find this more urgent." Something in Pein's and Konan's eyes told her everything she needed to know.
"I'll leave before dawn, just let me say goodbye to Itachi first." They nodded their heads to Tsuki as she raced out of there with the scroll. Itachi and Tsuki held each other close that night not knowing if they would see each other again.
"Who knew about the full extent of your Kekki Genkai?" Itachi whispered to her.
"Just you and Kushina-chan. Kakashi knows of the wolf but that's it." She whispered back they didn't want to be overheard.
"Do you remember the Genjutsu I taught you that mimics Tsukuyomi?" He asked rubbing his hand up and down her back slowly.
"Yes, Is that what you want me to use on Jiraiya to relay the information from you?" Tsuki played with his soft ebony hair.
"Yes, disguise the scroll as a pup and use it while Hoshi is out can you do that?" She nodded while curling up to his chest. "We will leave at dawn to the edge of the fire country from there you will be on your own." after a while sleep took over and claimed them.
Hours of running had left the team of three worn, being three hours from the land of fire's border they rested taking shifts to keep watch. Tsuki checked Itachi over using her medical ninjutsu. Fully rested the next morning they ran the last three hours together. Reaching the border Tsuki grabbed Itachi's hand and pulled him closer.
"Watashi ni modotte kite, watashi no ai. Onegaishimasu." Her golden eyes pleading with him. He reached up running his fingers through her snow-white tresses and rubbing his thumb along her cheekbone.
"Watashi wa anata ni modotte kuru koto o yakusoku shimasu, watashi no mūnbīmu." He whispered back to her before pulling her in for a soft kiss promising each other to come back.
Tsuki transformed her hair to look brown and put it up in a high ponytail. her clothes were changed to the Jōnin outfit. She also took care to make her eyes black and suppress Hoshi's chakra so they wouldn't be detected as easily.
It felt weird being back in the village after only four months. even weirder that they hadn't sent Kakashi and his ninken, who in her eyes were the best trackers Konoha had. She stopped by the ninja academy to watch Sasuke train though he had a coldness in his eyes that he never had before. She sighed, sticking her hands in her pockets she travelled to the Uchiha Clan's private training grounds where she and Itachi would train for hours and sometimes train Sasuke. She knew by his chakra he had followed her.
"Come on out chīsana ōkami. I know you're there." She called softly to him hoping he would recognize the old nickname she had given him.
"K-Kari?" Sasuke ran into her arms crying. "You left, aniki left. I've been so lost and alone, so angry. Why? Why did Aniki do this?" Her heart broke for the six-year-old it really did.
"I left for selfish reasons Sasuke, your brother didn't have a choice. I know we kept you at arm's length sometimes but it was to protect you. Your aniki felt so much guilt over choosing the village he loves and the little brother he loves so much over his clan who couldn't accept things the way the other clans did." She held Sasuke close to her while she explained everything even his parent's last words to Itachi.
"I don't want to see that cold expression on your face anymore. I will always be here for you, but you have friends I can see Naruto and you bonding over this you know he has overcome a lot of hate." She smiled when Sasuke's eyes shined again just like they used to. "Grow strong but don't follow the path of hatred, it leads you nowhere but lonely in the end. Protect Naruto like you would Itachi or I. Rebuild the Uchiha clan not out of hatred but out of love that your brother sacrificed his name and career for you and the village he loves. Promise me this chīsana ōkami, and I promise you I will visit often as I can. Maybe I'll disguise your aniki so he can visit you too." She chuckled when Sasuke attacked her with hugs.
"Can you finally teach me that shuriken jutsu you both promised me for so long?" He pleaded with her. Wanted just a few more minutes of her time. She nodded putting a finger to her chin.
"Why don't you gather that pink-haired kunoichi Sakura I think her name was, as well as Naruto and I'll teach the three of you each something special." His eyes lit up and he ran off to find his friends.
"Always knew how to placate him didn't you Kari?" A voice spoke from behind freezing her blood.
"K-Kakashi?" She whirled around to see him leaning against a tree. He lifted his hands up to show he wasn't a threat, before holding them out to her. She ran into her brother's arms hugging him tightly. "How, how did you know it was me?" She whispered looking up into his lone charcoal eye.
"You and I trained together I know Hoshi's chakra even if you suppress it. Plus my Sharingan sees thru Genjutsu remember?" he chuckled "I've missed you, little sis but Hokage-sama told me about your mission with Itachi and I've accepted that. I'll take the few times I'll be able to see you and cherish them. Hopefully, you two will be able to come home eventually." He rested his head on hers.
"Is that why you haven't been sent after me?" He nodded in response. "Kakashi, who else knows I'm here?" She was scared that the ANBU would stop her before she had a chance to speak with master Jiraiya.
"No one else is as attuned with your chakra as I am sis, so only I and Sasuke know it's truly you." She grinned as they heard little footsteps running towards them.
"Thank you Aniki, watch my back. Would hate for anyone to sneak up on me." Kakashi nodded his head and jumped up in the tree watching her little training session.
"Sasuke, I entrust this training ground to you three. I have jutsu in mind for each of you to learn while I'm gone I will be back before you become Genin I'm sure but if not I will be there when you graduate. Sasuke have you activated your Sharingan yet?" She was hoping he had it would make the shuriken jutsu easier to teach him. He looked down in shame and shook his head no. "None of that chīsana ōkami, It's quite alright I'm more irritated with Fugaku for not appreciating his youngest heirs' kind heart as much as he did Ita-kun's. Kakashi, send me a word with Pakkun once he unlocks it I want Itachi to say the words to him his father never did." Kakashi nodded and Sasuke gasped tears in his eyes.
"O nēchan, how will I learn the jutsu then if I don't have my Sharingan?" His eyes shone with hope. She grinned that he accepted her and Itachi's relationship for so long.
"By mastering your brother's kunai training with the blind spot." His face fell.
"O nēchan, last time I tried I sprained my ankle. How?" She put a finger to his lips silencing his doubts.
"By doing what your brother told me. Concentrate and trust your body to do the work. But, before I can show you I have to explain to your friends what I want to teach them don't I?" She winked as he nodded. "Good, Sakura I sense extreme chakra control in you am I correct?" She shrugged her shoulders looking apprehensive. Tsuki tilted her head to the side, before pulling a kunai out and handing it to her. Grabbing another she walked to the tree next to Kakashi, who nodded in approval.
"What do you want me to do with this?" The little girl asked.
"You are going to walk up this tree using chakra at your feet only. The kunai is to mark your last point if you are to fall. Actually, all three of you can do this." She pulled out two more kunai and handed them to Naruto and Sasuke. "Watch me." The three of them nodded as she explained how to push the chakra to their feet and ran up the tree all the way to the top. "Now you do it. Remember too much or too little chakra and you will fall mark the spot before you do. Now go!" Tsuki jumped down and watched the three of them focus before taking off towards the trees.
"Kakashi I need to talk to you." He grunted before hopping down.
"What is it?" He asked quietly.
"Where have Masters Jiraiya and Tsunade gone? I don't sense their chakras in the village anymore." She whispered to him keeping an eye on the three kids Sakura seemed to get it the first time which she figured would happen.
"They left shortly after you did. Jiraiya stays in the fire nation but no one knows where Tsunade has gone." A cry of joy came from the two boys as they hugged each other and Sakura flung her arms around the both of them.
"They will make the perfect team with some guidance. Sasuke has a fire-type chakra Naruto seems like Minato-san's wind type. Sakura has the heart of a medic. Yes, with you as their sensei they could accomplish much I believe." Tsuki stared into her brother's uncovered eye. "Keep them safe. Aniki." He nodded as she went towards the group.
"Very good guys, very good. Now Naruto I want you to continue working on your chakra control Sasuke you too. Sakura there is medical ninjutsu I want you to work on." She beckoned Kakashi forward to be her subject. "Now the most important thing in a three-man squad is their medic. Kakashi will be my wounded partner and I will show you basic medical ninjutsu that I want you to practice it will come in handy I promise."
Kakashi took out a kunai and stabbed his arm grunting slightly. "Especially since Kakashi here has a tendency of avoiding hospitals in general." She explained how to push chakra to her hands to heal which turned it from a blue color to a healing green color. Healing him almost all the way she moved Sakura over to her. "Now you try, see the muscles, tissues and blood vessels in your mind and heal them." She watched with pride as Sakura concentrated for a little then her hands turned green as the wound began to close rapidly.
"Wonderful, now I want you to practice by healing Naruto and Sasuke whenever they get hurt Kakashi too when he comes back from missions. No more avoiding it. I always healed you now the three of you are in her hands. I'll be back in a few months I'll send Hoshi's summon to you when I depart." She hugged each of them Sasuke the longest.
"Is there anything you wish me to tell your aniki?" He nodded and whispered it in her ear she nodded and hugged him again. "Remember what I said, You have friends build bonds the three of you will grow stronger together. Rebuild the Uchiha name in love, not hatred otōto." He nodded wiping tears from his eyes as the three of them ran off to continue training together.
"Protect them Kakashi, I have to find Lord third and Jiraiya." With one final hug to her brother, she vanished.
*Translations from Google Translate I do apologize to any native Japanese speakers out there. Please let me know if they are incorrect!*
Watashi ni modotte kite, watashi no ai. Onegaishimasu. - Come back to me, my love. Please.
Watashi wa anata ni modotte kuru koto o yakusoku shimasu, watashi no mūnbīmu. - I promise I will come back to you, my moonbeam.
chīsana ōkami - Little wolf
O nēchan- Older sister
aniki- Big brother
otōto- Younger brother